The conventional game system is typically structured such that it includes a game information storage medium such as a cartridge incorporating a semiconductor memory (ROM) or an optical storage medium such as CD-ROM, and a game machine main body (e.g., a home-based video game machine or portable game machine) on which the game information storage medium is removeably loaded. The game information storage medium stores a game program configured with instructions dependent upon an architecture of a central processor unit (CPU) or graphics processor unit (graphic IC; GPU) incorporated in the game machine loaded with the game information storage medium. The game machine (e.g., a second game machine which has a lesser processing capability than a first machine) includes a CPU or the like to sequentially execute various instructions based on a game program stored in the game information storage medium. The game machine includes a processing system which performs operational processing (V1-V3) due to an operating CPU and graphics processing (V4-V6) due to an graphics processing unit, e.g. as shown in FIG. 23. Thus, image representation and/or sound processing is realized for a game as determined by the game program, being provided for play by the player.
Recently, computer technology advances have improved the processing speed and/or processing capability of the CPU, etc. There is a tendency among game machine makers toward developing and marketing the game machines incorporating a CPU, etc. using a new-type architecture matched to the needs arid advancements of the times. In such game machines, once a newer-type game machine (superior machine) is released, the game program for use on the older-type game machine (inferior machine) released in the past, in general, is no longer usable on the superior machine.
Typically, when a user uses respective game programs for the inferior and superior machines, it is required that the inferior-machine game program be played on the inferior machine and the superior-machine game program be played on the superior machine. Whenever playing a game program for different models, labor and time is required to change the connection between the game machine, the television receiver and the power supply, thereby creating inconvenience for the user. Also, the newer game machine (superior machine) includes more sophisticated functions as compared to the older game machine (inferior machine) and hence requires enormous cost and time in developing game programs to achieve such functions. It has heretofore been difficult to release new game programs in a comparatively brief time immediately after a game machine's release. Due to this, there are less game programs available immediately after the release of the new model game machine, resulting in inconvenience for the user.
In order to make the inferior-machine game program usable on the superior machine (secure upward compatibility), the superior game machine must incorporate CPUs for these two machines, i.e. a CPU for the superior machine (for both operational processing and special purpose graphics processing) and a CPU for the inferior machine (for both operational processing and graphics processing). This, however, greatly increases manufacturing costs for the main body of the superior game machine and hence is impractical.
Another possible method of making the inferior-game machine (different model) game program usable without complicating the superior-machine hardware structure, is to implant an inferior-machine game program into a superior machine. However, the program implantation method requires a considerable time of development, thus incurring significantly expensive development costs for each version. Due to this, unless a popular game program is expected to generate considerable sales, it is a practice not to implement program implantation onto different model game machines. Moreover, it is often the case that implantation is difficult to realize.
Therefore, it is an advantage of the disclosed exemplary embodiments of the present invention to provide a novel game information storage medium and game system using the game information storage medium.
Another advantage of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is to provide a game information storage medium convenient for a user or player with a game program for an older-type game machine (inferior machine) that can be used even on a superior machine without the necessity of large increase of manufacture cost for the game machine adopting a recent, more sophisticated-type architecture (superior machine), and a game system using the game information storage medium.
Another advantage of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a game information storage medium and game system which can use game program for an already-released older-type game machine having a different architecture without the necessity of implanting a program for adaptation to a recent-type game architecture, thereby supplying an older-type game program to a player at low cost without requiring program-implantation cost for the game program maker.
Still another advantage of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a game information storage medium and game system where a game program already released for an older-type game machine and game program for a newer-type game machine can both be accommodated, for supply, within a common information storage medium so that game play is possible with the inferior-machine game program or superior-machine game program without the necessity of exchanging the storage medium.
A game information storage medium according to the exemplary embodiments is a game information storage medium for a first game machine (e.g., a video game machine 20) adopting a first architecture, and includes a game program, an emulator program and a game selection program. More specifically, the game information storage medium (DVD 30) stores at least one game program (321-32n) for a second game machine having a second architecture different from the first architecture of the first game machine; at least one emulator program (33) which emulates the second game machine in the first game machine so as to make the game program for the second game machine executable on the first game machine; and a game selection program (31) which displays a game title of the game program to be selected by a player. Therefore, when the game information storage medium is started-up in the first game machine, the game selection program is executed so that the player can select a desired game title, and the game program of the selected game title is executed based on the emulator program.
In preferred embodiments, the game information storage medium includes at least two game programs, and the game selection program prompts the player to select any one of the game titles of the game programs, and starts execution of the game program of the selected game title based on the emulator program.
Another game information storage medium includes at least two emulator programs which respectively emulates two kinds of second game machines having architectures different from each other and the architecture of the first game machine. The game selection program selects any one of the emulator programs in correspondence to the game program of the game title selected by the player.
A further game information storage medium includes at least two emulator programs which emulate the second game machine in at least two kinds of first game machines having architectures different from each other. The game selection program starts the execution of the game program of the game title selected by the player based on the emulator program in correspondence to the architecture of the any one of the first game machines.
In one aspect of the exemplary embodiments, a game information storage medium is a game information storage medium used in a first game machine which includes a first processing means (CPU 22, GPU 24), a writable/readable memory means (work RAM 25) and an operating means (game controller 40 or 40a-40d) operated by a player so as to utilize a game program for a second game machine which includes a second processing means having an architecture different from an architecture of the first processing means in the first game machine while making sure of compatibility. The second game machine has a game program, an emulator program and a game selection program. More specifically, the game information storage medium stores at least one game program (321-32n) for the second game machine; at least one emulator program (33) which includes a program for converting the architecture of the second processing means into the architecture of the first processing means such that the first processing means can process the game program for the second game machine; and a game selection program (31) for displaying a game title (or other information indicative thereof) to be selected by the player, whereby the emulator program and at least a portion of the game program of the game title selected by the player are to be read-out.
In this case, the emulator program calculates data to be generated by the second processing means by utilizing a virtual register. The emulator program includes a graphics processing emulator program and an operation processing emulator program. The graphics processing program causes the first processing means to emulate a function of a second graphics processing means provided in the second game machine. The operation processing emulator program causes the first processing means to emulate a function of the second processing means provided in the second game machine.
In a given game information storage medium, the game program includes game programs for at least two kinds of second game machines having architectures different from each other and the architecture of the first game machine.
In an illustrative embodiment, the game information storage medium may further includes a preliminary program. The preliminary program is a program for outputting preliminary information indicative of an outline of a game according to the game program. When the game title is provisionally selected, the game selection program executes the preliminary program associated with the provisionally-selected game title so as to output the preliminary information, and when the game title is formally selected, the game selection program starts the execution of the game program of the formally-selected game title and the execution of the emulator program which causes the game program to be executed in the first game machine.
By way of example, “provisional selection” may be an operation such that the game title is single-clicked, and “formal selection” may be an operation such that the game title is double-clicked.
Furthermore, preferably, the preliminary program is a program for displaying an animation in which the outline of the game is demonstrated, a program for displaying a still picture image in the game, a program for displaying a sentence that explains the outline of the game, or a program for outputting the outline of the game in sound.
A game information storage medium according to another embodiment stores graphics data of a plurality of kinds of characters, a character display/selection program and a data replacement program. The character display/selection program displays the respective characters prior to the execution of the game program so as to prompt the player to select a desired character out of the displayed characters. The data replacement program replaces the graphics data read-out by the emulator program with the graphics data of the character that has been selected in advance by the player at a time that the execution of the game program is started by the emulator program and a game image based on the game program is to be produced.
A game system according to the exemplary embodiments is a game system for providing in a first game machine adopting a first architecture which executes a program stored in a game information storage medium a game for a second game machine adopting a second architecture different from the first architecture of the first game machine. The game information storage medium stores at least one game program for the second game machine; at least one emulator program which makes the game program possible to be executed by emulating the second game machine in the first game machine; and a game selection program which displays at least one game title of the game program to be selected by a player. In starting the game information storage medium, the first game machine displays the game title by executing the game selection program and causes the player to select the game title, and starts the execution of the game program of the selected game title based on the emulator program.
In a game system according to a preferred embodiment, the game information storage medium includes at least two game programs, and any one of the game programs is caused to be selected by the game selection program, and the execution of the game program of the selected game title is started based on the emulator program.
In a game system according to another embodiment, the game information storage medium includes at least two emulator programs which respectively emulate two kinds of second game machines having architectures different from each other and the architecture of the first game machine. The game selection program selects any one of the emulator programs in correspondence to the game program of the game title selected by the player.
In a game system according to a further embodiment, the game information storage medium includes at least two emulator programs which emulates the second game machine in at least two kinds of first game machines having architectures different from each other, respectively. The game selection program starts the execution of the game program of the game title selected by the player based on the emulator program corresponding to the architecture of any one of first game machines.
Another game system is a game system in which in a first game machine including a first processing means for processing a program stored in a game information storage medium, a writable/readable memory means and an operating means operated by a player, a game program for a second game machine including a second processing means having an architecture different from an architecture of the first processing means can be used. The game information storage medium stores at least one game program for the second game machine; at least one emulator program which includes a program for converting the architecture of the second processing means into the architecture of the first processing means such that the first processing means can process the game program for the second game machine; and a game selection program for displaying a game title to be selected by the player. The first processing means reads the game selection program and stores the same in the writable/readable memory means, and displays a game title of the game program based on the game selection program, and when the player selects the game title, reads the emulator program and at least a portion of the game program of the game title selected by the player and transfers the same to the writable/readable memory means, and then, executes the game program stored in the writable/readable memory means while referring to the emulator program.
In another aspect of the exemplary embodiments, the game information storage medium further includes at least one game program (32m) for the first game machine, and the first game machine directly executes the game program for the first game machine when the game program for the first game machine is selected, and if the game program for the second game machine is selected, executes the game program for the second game machine based on the emulator program.
According to the exemplary embodiments, it is possible to use a game program for an older-type (inferior) game machine even on a superior machine without incurring a large increase of manufacturing cost for the game machine (superior machine) adopting a new-type architecture. Thus, particular effects are provided, e.g. obtaining a game information storage medium convenient for a user or player and a game system using the game information storage medium.
Furthermore, a game program for an already-released older-type game machine having a different architecture can be used without the necessity of implanting a program for adaptation to a newer-type game architecture, providing an effect that the older-type game program can be supplied to the player at low cost without incurring program-implanting costs for the game program maker.
In addition, a game program already released for an older-type game machine and game program for a newer-type game machine can be accommodated, for supply or sale, within a common information storage medium, providing an effect that the user can play games for use on different models in order using inferior-machine game program and superior-machine game program without incurring the inconvenience of exchanging the storage medium.
Furthermore, by causing the player to provisionally select a game title, the outline of the game having the selected game title is indicated, and thus, the player can easily search a desired game.
In addition, by replacing the graphics data included in the game program with the graphics data of the character that the player desires, it is possible to apply a variation on the game, and therefore, the single game program can be played by the player for a long time.
Furthermore, a game program already released for a game machine adopting an old-type architecture (inferior game machine) and a game program for a game machine adopting a new-type architecture (superior game machine) can be accommodated, for supply or sale, within a common information storage medium, providing an effect that the user can play games for use on different models in order using inferior-machine game programs and superior-machine game programs without incurring the inconvenience of exchanging the storage medium.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.